Riley County announces new law targeting nuisances

MANHATTAN (KSNT) - On Tuesday, Riley County announced it now has the authority to enforce nuisances on properties and bill property owners for the work.

Now anything that is considered an endangerment to public health, safety or welfare can be considered a nuisance. Riley County listed examples of multiple abandoned vehicles, broken furniture, discarded refrigerators, or other hazardous materials as examples of nuisances. Riley County spokeswoman Vivienne Leyva said nuisance complaints typically come from neighbors.

According to Leyva, the new authority comes from Kansas Senate Bill 384.

"Enforcement in the past was challenging and problematic for both the property owners and the county. There wasn’t a clear-cut or simple way to request a court order for property cleanup, no matter how long the problem had been going on or how significant the impact was on the community," explained Amanda Webb, Director of Planning & Development/Environmental Health.

After July 1, Riley County can hire contractors to solve nuisance complaints. Property owners will be billed for any costs incurred. Riley County said property owners will receive profits from sales on salvage.

“Most people comply after one or two letters. Unfortunately, there have been instances where a property owner refused to comply even after a court order. Now, with this new tool, we can mitigate unsafe conditions more effectively. We will use it sparingly and judiciously,” Webb stated.

You can report nuisances by notifying Riley County Environmental Health at 785-537-6332. For more information on SB 384, click here.

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